Chapter: Chapter 109: Watching Over You All NightDerek blinked, caught off guard by the question.Realizing he genuinely had been neglecting Vivian lately, wrapped up in everything happening with Naomi, guilt crept in fast."Of course. Blood or not, you're my sister."Once she had Derek's reassurance locked in, Vivian's smile widened. "Knew you loved me the most."Meanwhile, at the hospital.Old Mr. Blackwood sat beside the bed, worry etched across his face.The second the doctor finished the exam, he asked, "How is he?""Vomiting blood like that was stress-induced. He's stable now, but I'd recommend a few more days here for observation."The doctor delivered the update and stepped out, leaving the three of them alone."Naomi, would you be willing to stay and help me look after Ethan?" Old Mr. Blackwood searched her face, sincere. "You're the only one who can right now."Naomi had almost refused outright at the first half of that sentence.The second half was harder to walk away from."This is the last thing I'll ask, I promise. He
Last Updated: 2026-08-22
Chapter: Chapter 108: The Wrong Debt RepaidThe thought had barely finished forming before cold sweat broke out down Ethan's back."It's because Naomi always believed you were the one who pulled her out of the water that day at the beach."If not for that debt of gratitude, why else would she have endured this family for as long as she did?"The beach?" Ethan's frown deepened. He had no memory of anything like that at all.Why don't I remember saving her?He dug through his memory and finally landed on a fragmented image.He had, once, found Naomi unconscious near the shore and gotten her to a hospital.That was the entirety of it.Does that even count as saving someone?"I called an ambulance. That's all I did." Ethan said it quietly, almost to himself.Something shifted hard across the old man's face. "What did you just say? I thought it was you who actually pulled her out of the ocean?"He'd heard the story straight from Naomi herself, years ago.Every time she told it, there'd been a soft, private smile on her face.Knowing
Last Updated: 2026-08-21
Chapter: Chapter 107: Winning the CaseReading the situation as it stood, the woman's position looked airtight, almost no room to maneuver. From what he could tell, she already had her own income and was fully capable of supporting the kids on her own.Filing on the grounds of an irreparable breakdown usually meant, in his experience, that one party had strayed.And based on years of doing this, the odds leaned heavily toward the husband being the one at fault.He couldn't say any of that out loud, though.Lin weighed his words carefully. "Mr. Blackwood, the opposing counsel's been extremely tight-lipped. I don't have much to work with, which makes it hard to build a strong defense."The subtext being he couldn't promise a win."Heh." Ethan's mouth curled, dismissive. "I don't care how you get there. Losing isn't an option.""Win this, and you name your price. Plus every future referral you could want.""But if we lose..." Ethan let the sentence trail off, deliberately.Blackwood Enterprises might not carry the weight of t
Last Updated: 2026-08-19
Chapter: Chapter 106: He Was the One Who Saved HerSomething flickered behind Sebastian's eyes. He wanted every detail he could get about Naomi.Years of training had taught him to keep his reactions locked down and knowing Miles, playing indifferent usually got better results anyway."Doesn't matter if you tell me or not."His voice came out unbothered, eyes fixed on the tablet in his hands like whatever Miles had was barely worth his attention.That worked exactly as intended Miles's stubborn streak flared instantly.He surged forward, snatched the tablet clean out of Sebastian's hands, and forced eye contact. "Sometimes I genuinely question whether you actually care about Naomi, or if this is all some passing whim!"Sebastian's expression stayed level.Underneath the blanket, his knuckles curled tight, his heartbeat pounding loud enough to feel in his ears.If Miles had actually looked at the tablet, he'd have noticed there was nothing open on it at all just an empty desktop.The whole "indifferent" act had been staged from the sta
Last Updated: 2026-08-18
Chapter: Chapter 105: Unexplained ResistanceNaomi wanted to pull back, but reminded herself Sebastian had saved her earlier that day and forced herself to sit with the discomfort.She genuinely couldn't figure out why he kept looking at her like that.Does he already know who I really am? Is this some kind of test?Right as the tension started to feel unbearable, a knock sounded at the door.Knock knock.Naomi paused. Sebastian pulled his gaze away and spoke, unhurried. "Come in."The door opened, and Miles stepped in with Leo.Owen followed close behind."Owen's business is more urgent." Miles found a chair and settled in easily, nodding at Owen. "Go ahead."Owen stepped forward. "Mr. Cole, Mr. Sinclair toured the bid venue he's satisfied with the setup. Bidding's officially scheduled for this Friday."He handed over the paperwork with practiced respect.Sebastian sat up, skimming through it fast. "Anything else from Marcus?"Owen hesitated, glanced briefly at Naomi standing beside the bed, then answered honestly. "He wants yo
Last Updated: 2026-08-16
Chapter: Chapter 104: Can You Come Get Me?Without much friction at all, Miles found Leo exactly where he expected to.Once he'd caught her up on his own situation, the two of them fell into an easy "madly in love" performance and walked straight out of the Reyes estate together, unbothered."Your turn to return the favor," Miles said, expression flipping instantly, laying it on thick with a pitiful look.Watching him go from commanding to helpless in under a second, Leo bit back a laugh. "What do you need?""Come with me to the Foster estate. Help me talk my grandfather down."Leo nodded and climbed back into the car with him."How long have you known Naomi?" Miles asked, casual.Leo's guard shot up instantly at the question.Still he'd just bailed her out, and the question seemed harmless enough. "Six, seven years now."Something flickered behind Miles's eyes. He kept probing, gently.Meanwhile, once Naomi got Lily settled and asleep, she headed back toward Sebastian's room.She stepped out into the hallway and found two fig
Last Updated: 2026-08-16
Chapter: Chapter 105: Grayson Visits the Vale Estate AgainMarcus flinched at the sudden outburst. He slid into the driver's seat immediately, glancing back. "Sir, should we swing by to pick up the young mistress along the way...?""Drive," Grayson said flatly, expression stormy.Marcus, thoroughly confused but too wary to push it, obeyed without another word.The car pulled out of the hospital and stopped at the first red light, and Marcus took the opportunity to relay what he'd learned.Grayson sat in the back, legs crossed, radiating cold authority even in silence, his sharp features half-shadowed, eyes carrying an unmistakable danger."Sir, preliminary findings say the fire started with a patient sneaking a cigarette in a storage room downstairs. Terminal illness, apparently didn't care about the rules. But the cigarette pack itself is unaccounted for, it didn't belong to any registered patient.""I don't think this was random. Could be Vale family business, could be Mu Zunlong. If it's the family, Julian's still at risk. If it's Mu Zunlo
Last Updated: 2026-08-20
Chapter: Chapter 104: If There's Going to Be a Misunderstanding, Then Let It Stay One"What are you even IMPLYING? It is not what you think, and I refuse to be talked to like this!" Isla clenched her fists, her whole body trembling, fragile as porcelain about to shatter.Her chin stayed lifted despite the sweat dripping down her face, eyes blazing with defiance."Nonsense? Heh..." Grayson's smile carried nothing but mockery.He stood rigid, radiating icy fury. His stare bore into her, mouth curling in disdain. "Did I say something incorrect? Then explain the fire's about to reach this exact corridor, and this is where you two happened to be standing. Was this a rendezvous, or a death wish?" His words dripped with contempt."I" Isla's dry lips parted, and only that single syllable made it out.She caught Richard and Bianca's warning stares from the corner of her eye.Richard raised a hand, feigning a casual scratch to his neck the gesture was unmistakable. A slicing motion. A threat.Say anything true and Grandma's life is on the line.Fury seared through Isla's whole b
Last Updated: 2026-08-19
Chapter: Chapter 103: A Secret Meeting With a Man"Lock down the entire hospital. Find her, alive, now." Grayson's voice cut cold through the chaos."Yes, sir!"Bianca had been scanning the dark for Grayson's silhouette, and the second she spotted him, her interest sharpened instantly.She glanced toward where Marcus had disappeared, then gestured for Richard to wheel her over."Mr. Vale, worried about Isla? Don't be she just went off with Marcus that way. Looked like they had something important to discuss." Bianca coughed convincingly as she approached, face artfully streaked with soot, delivering the line with practiced sweetness.The words landed light but to Grayson, they carried an entirely different weight.She's still pulling this.Grayson turned in the direction Bianca had pointed and set off immediately, disregarding the risk of pursuing spread fire.Bianca prodded Richard forward, and he hurried her along, keeping pace with Grayson's rapid stride."Mr. Vale, Isla was just catching up with an old friend, that's all. Please
Last Updated: 2026-08-18
Chapter: Chapter 102: Something's Not RightIsla tried steering the wheelchair after them, but the grass swallowed the wheels completely useless.She abandoned it and pushed herself up, limping forward instead.Behind her, the whole inpatient wing churned with smoke and chaos.Not far off, Bianca and Richard watched Isla's uneven, hobbling retreat with quiet satisfaction.Everything's going exactly as planned.Bianca had smeared soot across her own face for effect, standing safely on the lawn while every eye stayed fixed on the fire. Watching Isla's back disappear, she narrowed her eyes. "Dad, you're sure Marcus is still here? He hasn't left yet?""Right he's tied up doing something in his mother's office," Richard confirmed, relaying whatever intel he'd gathered."Let's go find him." Bianca turned, scanning the chaotic crowd behind her.Then her eyes locked on someone striking in the swarm of evacuees. She brightened instantly, urging Richard to push her forward."Isla! ISLA, where ARE you?!" Bianca called out, weaving toward
Last Updated: 2026-08-17
Chapter: Chapter 101: An Unexpected FireShe lifted her sleep mask and squinted at the AC panel and her eye twitched.Eighty-six degrees. That's not a room temperature, that's a threat.She glanced sideways at the man beside her."COUGH cough cough COUGH!" Isla's irritation snapped instantly into pure panic when she caught sight of a very toned, very bare chest.He TOOK HIS SHIRT OFF."Are you INSANE?!" Isla nearly vaulted off the mattress, every hair on her body standing straight up.She spun away, curling into a tight ball, eyes screwed shut, trying to erase the image.Not that it worked. All she could think about was that lean, cut, distractingly toned frame."How do you just casually decide to sleep SHIRTLESS?!" Isla managed, once her heart rate came down enough to actually complain.She stayed curled up, face flaming red, lashes fluttering rapid-fire from sheer nerves.Beside her, Grayson shifted slightly, voice coming from behind, low and unbothered. "Men don't usually sleep fully dressed. Did you not know that?"Isla
Last Updated: 2026-08-16
Chapter: Chapter 100: You Don't Want to Sleep With Me?Isla glanced at his tall, unfairly long frame, then at the couch, and quickly calculated that there was no world where a man his size fit comfortably on that piece of furniture.Grayson stood silently watching, and clearly read exactly what was going through her head.Isla thought it over carefully, then ventured, "Mr. Vale, how about you take the bed, and I take the couch?"The second she said it, unease crept in.Her bright eyes fixed on his tall frame beside the bed, and the longer he stayed silent, brow furrowed, the more flustered she became.Grayson's gaze sharpened as he studied her.Isla's heart started hammering. That increasingly cold, intense stare felt like it might actually devour her whole.She stayed put, obedient, unmoving.Grayson stood there, elegant and imposing, the overhead light only sharpening the effect.Something about the sheer weight of his composure made breathing difficult. Isla swallowed hard.Under that stare, she felt her eyes darting nervously right as
Last Updated: 2026-08-16
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